


Tag to the episode Common Ground

by koalathebear



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 15:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a book end to the episode 'Common Ground'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tag to the episode Common Ground

"What you did was right."

Elizabeth didn't turn around. She had expected Sheppard to head straight to his quarters after the de-brief. After what he had gone through, rest should have been the first thing on his mind.

"Exactly right," Sheppard told her. She didn't answer him, merely stared out at the water that looked like black sheets of polished glass beneath the moonlight.

Upon John's return to Atlantis, Elizabeth's face had been expressionless but the sheer intensity of the joy in her eyes when she had seen him had startled him. Even more startling had been the strength of his own feelings at seeing her again. Relief, happiness and ... something else.

Elizabeth had composed herself immediately, stepping forward with her usual calm smile.

"It's good to have you back, Colonel Sheppard," she had greeted him. "I should have known that you'd rescue yourself. Did you even need us?"

"Yeah, well the transportation did come in handy so thanks for that," he had drawled while smirking at her.

The debrief had been very brief. Everyone had agreed that it was more important for Sheppard to rest first. The questions could come later. Sheppard's gaze had returned to Elizabeth's face again and again. She had been very quiet during the debrief, allowing Rodney, Carson and the others to interrogate John on the details of the reverse feeding process. Each time Elizabeth had looked up from her notes, Sheppard had been watching her.

Now as he stood at her side, the same watchful expression was on his face.

"Will you stop blaming yourself?"

"John, I haven't _said_ anything," Elizabeth exclaimed with mild reproof in her voice.

"You don't have to," John told her evenly. "Think I don't know what's been going on in your head the last few hours?"

"John, I .." she started to protest.

"I know exactly what you're thinking and I'm here to tell you stop it," he told her. "It's an order."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"An order?"

"Yeah. An order," he told her, nodding emphatically.

"I wasn't aware that I took orders from you."

"I take an unconventional approach to the chain of command sometimes - I'm like that."

Elizabeth gripped the handrail convulsively and swallowed hard. She turned away and stared at the water again. "If it had been me, caught by the Genii - why do I get the feeling that you would have ignored the policy against negotiation with terrorists."

"Nah," John said dismissively.

Startled, Elizabeth turned to face him.

"I'd have gone in guns blazing and rescued you. No need to waste time on negotiation," he told her bluntly.

"And what if - "

"Failure is not an option."

"John, don't try and humour me."

"Don't waste your time and energy soul-searching," he countered.

He was smiling at her with that familiar, devil-may-care smile. The irreverence in John Sheppard was unquenchable. Just having him by her side filled her with reassurance and comfort.

"I hear you've got yourself a brother," Elizabeth said, allowing herself to smile faintly.

"Well, I seem to have got all the looks in the family," he said with an exaggerated sigh and Elizabeth's half smile became a full smile.

"But none of the modesty."

Both fell silent and stood side by side, leaning down on the railing as they stared out into the darkness. John was the first to break the silence.

"If I see Kolya again, no more Mr Nice Guy. I almost lost something that means a lot to me today and he's going to pay for that." His eyes were grim.

"The man allowed a Wraith to drain you of years of your life - I'm not surprised that you want to kill him."

"Not just talking about my life," John said casually, turning his head to look at her, his gaze very direct.

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. "I don't under - "

John smiled. "I think you do. Anyway, I'm beat, time for me to turn in. 'night," he told her casually as he walked towards the door.

"Good night, John."

The doors slid shut and Elizabeth was left alone with her thoughts again. She exhaled slowly and the sound was like a sigh. Sheppard wasn't the only one to almost lose something precious that day. Sometimes it frightened her how much she relied on Sheppard for his counsel and his steady dependability. Leadership was a heavy responsibility and Sheppard was one of the few to understand the dilemmas she encountered on an almost daily basis. The burden would always be heavy but without John, it would have been almost overwhelming.

There was a crackle on her headset.

"For the love of God, I told you to stop blaming yourself." John's irritable voice in her earpiece made Elizabeth laugh and she shook her head in disbelief.

"John - go to bed. _That's_ an order." There was a laugh.

"Sheppard out," she heard him say.

"You know, you should probably take your own advice," Ronon's deep voice said from behind her. Elizabeth turned and stared at him inquiringly.

"Ronon."

"I owe you an apology," he said unexpectedly and Elizabeth looked astonished.

"For what?"

"Questioning your orders. I was out of line. It won't happen again."

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm not surprised you weren't entirely happy with my decision. My inaction." Her face was very serious.

Ronon shook his head. "Sheppard set me straight. I know it took a lot to .... do what you did. The decisions you make affect the lives of everyone. But Sheppard told me that if it were your life alone, you would sacrifice it. That you _have_ sacrificed it."

"Oh. He told you about that," Elizabeth said quietly.

Ronon nodded and then Elizabeth received one of his rare smiles. "You should rest, Dr Weir."

"I'll think about it," she told him. He nodded slightly and then was gone.

"Elizabeth - Colonel Sheppard refused a sedative but I have examined him. I must say that although it's too early to say what long-term effect the reverse feeding process has had on him, there appear to have been no adverse effects. Quite the contrary. He's even more energetic than before." Carson stood in the doorway and Elizabeth turned and smiled.

"God help us. As if he wasn't already energetic enough," she said.

"Precisely. Are _you_ all right?"

"I'm fine, Carson."

Beckett hesitated slightly. "We all know how difficult it was for you today. We all understand. No one blames you."

"Thank you, Carson." He smiled, nodded.

"Right. See you tomorrow. Make sure you get some rest."

"I see that Dr Beckett has briefed you." Now it was Teyla's calm voice.

"Yes - why does it not surprise me that Colonel Sheppard can undergo a Wraith feeding process and emerge without any ill-effects?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.

Teyla came to stand beside her, leaning her elbows on the ledge and staring out at the water. "Because he is John Sheppard. I have never heard of anyone surviving what he has endured. He is a unique man."

"That is an understatement," Elizabeth murmured and the two women smiled at one another.

"I think you also know that I understand more than anyone else can," Teyla said quietly. "I have looked at my people and considered if they wondered if I would sacrifice their lives if they were captured. Would I sacrifice the life of the one for the many?"

"Yet we are just human - it seems wrong that we have this kind of power."

"I feel very comfortable with my life in your hands, Dr Weir," Teyla said, inclining her head slightly, her dark eyes very serious and Elizabeth reached out her hand.

"Thank you, Teyla." The hand-clasp lasted for a brief second.

"I will disturb you no longer. Sleep well," she said and was gone.

"Ah there you are!"

"Hello Rodney," Elizabeth said with mild resignation in her voice. She turned to stare at McKay who had appeared on in the doorway and was looking around inquiringly.

" _What?_ " he demanded, stepping forward to stand next to her on the balcony. He glanced around curiously. "Oh. Very nice view - pity the Ancients didn't expend more time and energy on developing more powerful weaponry and less energy on designing balconies with panoramic views."

Despite his words, he appeared to appreciate the beauty before him, listening for a moment to the sounds of the ocean at night.

"You here to try to reassure me as well, Rodney?" Elizabeth asked him quizzically.

"Of course not," Rodney exclaimed. "You need to do what it is you need to do - although given how valuable _I_ am, I know that if the hostage was me, that would make your decision even more difficult," he told her.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something but Rodney continued. "Like I said though, no matter however agonisingly difficult the decision is - you need to make it."

Elizabeth fell silent, an arrested expression in her eyes as she stared at Rodney in perplexity.

He nudged her slightly with his shoulder. "You always have my support."

"Rodney, I - "

"I wonder why the Ancients never built safety rails on their balconies? Perhaps occupational health and safety wasn't an issue." He continued his monologue and Elizabeth stopped staring at him, looked out at the water again and nudged him back.

"Sometimes you surprise me, Rodney," she said softly.

"Not surprising. I surprise myself all the time, too," Rodney told her.

"Thank you, Rodney."

"You're welcome." Then he turned his head. "For what?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Just thank you." Still slightly puzzled, Rodney shrugged.

"Did you know that that tower over there is completely symmetrical? In fact ...."

  
**The End**   



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